Mandatory Belt Use and Driver Risk Taking: An Empirical Evaluation of the Risk-Compensation Hypothesis

Risky business: safety regulations, risk compensation, and individual behavior

“…For example, O'Neill et al studied drivers in Canada and England after seat belt use laws were implemented. 57 They examined travel speeds and following headways and reported no evidence of riskier behavior due to the belt use laws. Sagberg et al observed travel speeds and following headways for Oslo taxi drivers with and without airbags and antilock brakes.…”

Behavioral and Environmental Interventions for Reducing Motor Vehicle Trauma

“…This is similar to the experience of the first large jurisdiction to require belt use, Victoria, Australia in the early 1970s (3). Reductions accompanying belt use laws in deaths to vehi cle occupants vary from 10% in rural areas of Australia (20) to 25% in En gland (50).…”

“…Several observations have explained the less-than-expected effectiveness. Belt use does not increase as much among the young, alcohol-impaired, or nighttime drivers as among drivers at less risk (11,50,61).…”

“…There is no observed change in speed on curves, following distance by a driver moving in tandem with a forward vehicle, or moving through intersections when lights are red (39,50).…”

Consumer Demand for Vehicle Safety: An Empirical Study

“…Peltzman [ 19751 argued that drivers exhibit compensatory behavior with the result that the beneficial effects of safety regulation are offset by greater risk taking. This has led to an on-going debate regarding the extent to which risk compensating behavior occurs (Robertson [1977;19811, Orr [1982], McKenna [1982], Wilde [198219841, Crandall and Graham [1984], O'Neill et al [1984], Graham and Garber [1984], Lund and Zador [1983], and McCarthy [ 19861).…”